Can You Break In a Baseball Glove With Shaving Cream?
Alright, so you got that first real baseball glove, maybe a Wilson A2000 or Rawlings Pro-preffered. You know the one that is so stiff you can’t even begin to close, let alone play catch. You bend and beat on it with your hands for a little bit, but its just not getting any better. Then you think what if there was something around the house you could use to soften your glove.
Voila! Shaving cream. You’ve heard of using shaving cream before, but don’t know if its true or an old wives tale.
Can you break in a glove using shaving cream?
Shaving creams that contain an ingredient called Lanolin can be used for softening a baseball glove. Lanolin oil is a moisturizer that can be used on leather to soften, protect and preserve your glove for years.
Whats in shaving cream that helps break in a baseball glove?
Some brands of shaving cream contain an ingredient knows as Lanolin. Lanolin is a waxy oil, that is yellowish in color and produced by the skin glands of sheep. These glands secrete the oil which helps moisturize and protect its wool from the elements.
Through the processes of shearing the wool, the lanolin is collected. Lanolin can be found in many consumer products including lip balm, shampoo, makeup, skin lotion and shaving cream.
Lanolin oil is an occlusive fat that helps to lock in moisture. This prevents the moisture from evaporating into the air and drying out your glove.
Which types of shaving creams contain lanolin?
- If your old enough, you may remember the red and white can of shaving cream, known as Barbasol, that your dad use to use. Barbasol use to use Lanolin oil in its shaving creams to help moisturize your skin while shaving.
Now many shaving creams commercially available today are not formulated with lanolin. Most are loaded with chemicals like sulfates and emulsifiers.
These chemical are not good for the leather on your glove. Look for Shaving creams advertising extra skin moisturizers. Then check the back label to see if it contains Lanolin. Here is a couple of creams that contain Lanolin oil I found on Amazon.
If you are hesitant on using shaving cream, there are several products designed for gloves that contain lanolin oil.
How much do I need to use on my glove?
When looking to break in your new baseball glove with shaving cream, its always good to start out sparingly. Squirt a small amount, about a golf ball size, on a small towel, rag or your fingers.
Then, spread the cream on to the leather and start to work it into your glove in a circular motion. Be sure to cover the entire glove, paying extra close attention to the hinge points. Hinge points are located on the heal and through the palm.
Allow the glove to sit as this will allow the properties in the shaving cream to work on softening the leather. Perform this process a few times until you have reached the desired level of break in you need.
Is shaving cream all I need to break in my glove?
Although, you can absolutely just use shaving cream and your hands to manipulate the glove until it’s broken in. However, there is one tool that can help.
A glove mallet.
A glove mallet, like this one from Mizuno, is specifically designed to help speed up the break in process. Of course you don’t have to use a glove mallet. You can use the barrel of a baseball bat or a rubber mallet.
You’ll take the glove and place it on a glove break-in pad or carpet. Next, hit it with the bat or mallet in the pocket, web and hinge points of the heal.
As you go, you will slowly start to see the glove taking shape. Keep working the glove until you get the shape that you desire.
Using a glove mallet will significantly speed up the break in process and get you to playing catch sooner.
Is there a better way to break in a baseball glove?
Although shaving cream can be used to soften a baseball glove, I wouldn’t say it is the most efficient and effective. One of the best methods, I have personally used on my last glove, is pouring hot water over it. I first found this method on youtube by legendary glove maker Shigeaki Aso.
He uses a technique of taking hot water, about 150 degrees, and pouring it over the glove. Next he takes a mallet, or a small dumbbell and works the break points in the glove.
Then he leaves the glove to dry. You can use this method in conjunction with the shaving cream or glove conditioner, once it dries. Once dried take a small amount of cream or condition and apply it all over the glove and let it dry again. This will help preserve you glove and keep the leather from drying out.
Final Thoughts.
Breaking in a new baseball glove can be a rather pain staking process without the right tools. Fortunately there are plenty of resources to make this process much easier and quicker.
So grab some glove conditioner, a glove mallet and start your way towards a glove that you can be proud of. And, if you do it right it will last for years to come.